There was chaos in the lair. He sensed it as soon as he stepped down from the dark silence of the steam tunnels. John called out, but there was no answer. He hurried into the main area only slowing when he came upon the sight of Roger and Marla in the centre of the room, Natalie hanging Luca from the wall. He didn't really need to ask, Roger had more than earned any fate the Tomorrow People chose to hand to him in the few days he had been back. Part of John didn't want to fight for the man; a larger part had already been lost in the fight for him. In fact, his entire self was based around the parts he lost in fighting for Roger, and the rest – there was no sense in stopping now. He would step in, as much as he believed Roger deserved every gash and rapidly darkening bruise on his face, he would defend him. Protect everyone. Always.

Focused as they were on the scene in front of them, no one had noticed John walk in yet. It was taking a moment for him to decide what to say, he hoped to softly diffuse the screaming tension. Roger's melodramatic bleating of undying love for his wife obliterated that hope in a torrent of swirling anger.

"Put him down gently" John commanded, his voice was quiet really but the second he had made his presence known, silence fell over the room, all attention drew to him. Natalie was thinking of challenging him, she wanted to, he could see that. It only took a hint of raised brow, a no-nonsense glint in his eye and the challenge left her. She opened her mouth to plead with him as she lowered Luca to the floor, but he dismissed her with a half shake of his head and she accepted the unspoken command sullenly.

"Thank you John, I'm-"

"Shut up. Get up" John growled, cutting off Roger's attempts at gratitude.

Marla helped Roger rise unsteadily to his feet, John could see her wanting to reach out to him, could almost feel the words of relief on her tongue. He crossed the space between himself and Roger in a few quick strides, dutifully ignoring her presence as he grabbed Roger's wrist and dragged him over to the desk behind them. Picking up the most solid paperweight, with a firm precision John hammered it down on the cuff around Roger's wrist. It didn't smash, but it cracked enough that a slightly shaken Roger was able to prise it open and slide his hand out.

He reached out a hand to pat John, and opened his mouth, another meaningless platitude on his lips. But John wouldn't even look at him, just turned his back and walked a few steps away to address his people.

"I know you're scared. I know you're angry… believe me, I know" John began, his eyes finding all of theirs and searching for acceptance. "He" he gestured disdainfully behind himself, "is what the founder wants. Which means giving him up to the founder like a trussed pig is the least helpful thing we can do right now. He might have abandoned us, but he still wants to save his own skin. That makes him our ally if nothing else. And Roger's still the only one with the power to go up against the Founder on his own. It's better if he's fit to fight" John refused to say 'we need him', because he didn't want to, and at this point, he hoped they didn't need him – Roger's track record of running away didn't bend in their favour.

"There's less than 30 minutes before another one of us drops dead'" burst Natalie, and John couldn't be angry with her for feeling - for expressing what they all should; the bitter taste of emotion somewhere between disappointment, abandonment and betrayal… or maybe that was just him and she was only pissed about a rash decision to take the easy road that went wrong. Either way, he had too much rage already bottled down in his chest to begrudge Natalie for speaking the truth.

"I know. I'll fix it" he replied, quietly emphatic.

"How" she pleaded, "we know you mean well but John…"

"Have I ever failed you?" he asked assuredly, "I may have made mistakes, I lied about who I was, and I lied about killing Roger, I believed, and I made you believe in one man that could 'save us all' and 'lead us to a promised land'. I was stupid and naïve and looking for a reason to give everyone hope and keep fighting to live when deep down I knew I didn't have one… other than, we have a right to live… Well the humans do too! There isn't one Tomorrow person here that hasn't left someone behind." Except me, he thought painfully, but continued seamlessly, "Someone they've spent every day wishing they'd be able to see again... So that's what this comes down to. Yeah I've made mistakes, big ones, having us believe so fully that that selfish coward" he gesticulated angrily at Roger, "was our one chance for salvation, to the point where we've completely lost ourselves when he isn't… that might be my biggest. But I'll be damned if I can't fix it – for all of you who are my family, and everyone you left behind to keep safe! I have never not kept you safe, be angry at me for everything else, but I always kept us safe and alive… I can still do that."

"But John, they took your powers" Russell said, questioning sadly, almost silently, though his voice carried liked he'd yelled it in the silent atrium.

"Well yeah" John answered, a cheeky grin beginning to spread over his features, "but they can never take… my freedom!" he finished laughing. Russell joined him, punching him in the arm and then embracing him. The others joined in, the laughter, embracing, some cheering. It was probably just the release of pressure getting to them, but in that moment, the world was righted again and it felt like everything was going to be ok.

"Alright, alright" John laughed, disentangling himself from those around him, "we need to move on this, battle ready, back here in 5 minutes, bring everything we've got!" Cheers rose around him again and people started to move off to gather supplies.

"John" Roger called out behind him. He turned, there was still a smile on his face but the look in his eyes said it wasn't for Roger. Would never be again.

"Get your brother. Be ready in five minutes" John's tone was not open to discussion.

"John this isn't your fight" Roger began in that placating tone he seemed to reserve for John.

John didn't give him the chance to finish, whatever it was he was planning to say, whipping around to address Roger vehemently, "No, it's your mess. Yours and Jedikiah's, and the Founder's, but you made it our fight when you ran away and left us to be picked off and murdered one at a time. We're not living like that any longer. This is our fight, and we're finishing it."

"John – "

"Be ready. Don't run." Was all he offered in reply as he turned his back again and walked away. He had to see Charlie with a plan to keep her out of the danger zone… that was going to be a whole other battle in itself.

Hopefully this one actually posted! :)